So near and yet still so far for Knights

The expectations are building among fans and the media as the team plays its first preliminary final in 12 years, which makes it even tougher for coach Wayne Bennett to keep everyone's feet on the ground.

His aim is to keep his players focused on this Saturday's tough match against the Roosters in Sydney, and avoid thinking too far ahead.

As he told Craig Hamilton from ABC 1233's Saturday Breakfast, it's one of the biggest challenges in the lead-up to such a crucial game. (listen to attached audio)

"Probably the people getting carried away about what we can do, getting in front of themselves," he says.

"They've got a hard task on their hands, I mean the reality for them, and I think they're realistic enough to know that we're playing an extremely good team."

Bennett admits things get hectic as a team heads deeper into the finals.

"It has its own energy and it builds up, no doubt about that," he says.

"My main focus is the players, of course.

"I'd like to think we're all excited about it, but that excitement's got to be tempered with the fact that there's a tough game of football in front of us, and we're gonna have to be good."

While the Knights' coach concedes that the Roosters having a week off is a "great benefit", he believes the tougher road his side has travelled has its advantages, too.

"Each game gives you a bit more confidence, it's just one step at a time," he says.

Win or lose come Saturday, Bennett is pleased with the progress the Knights have made.

"We've come a long way, we've come a huge distance," he says.

"We're starting to get it right and we're starting to understand about what we've got to do to play top football and be a top football club.

"At times here when it's been backs-to-the-wall stuff, it wasn't going well, the one question I kept asking myself was were we improving and I knew we were.

"In that point of view we've had a good season, regardless of what happens."

The much sought-after coach acknowledges that last year was a tough time for him personally as the team struggled and failed to make the finals.

"There was some bad times last year, and personally it wasn't easy for me or anybody last year," he recalls.

"But I also had a great belief in what works, I just stayed true to that.

"Sometimes you've just got to ride the criticism, ride the rough moments because time and time alone will vindicate what you've done and why you've done it."

Despite his satisfaction that the Knights are now playing the style of football he loves to watch, Bennett admits sitting through Saturday's preliminary final "won't be a lot of fun".

"But the satisfaction will be when it's over," he says.

You can hear live coverage of the Newcastle Knights versus the Roosters from Sydney Football Stadium on 1233 ABC Newcastle from 6.30pm Saturday, or via streaming from our website at abc.net.au/newcastle. Your commentary team will be Quentin Hull, Warren Ryan and Craig Hamilton.